[Rant] Do editing/proofreading errors drive you mad, too?

[Allura]

Thanks. I'm not sure people realize what kind of pressure there is in posting on forums over a sig that labels one as an editor.

Quoted for truth. I take forever to post in the forums (and often choose not to) just for this reason, particularly since my own typing stinks.

 

[Mark CMG]

Those looking for edting possibilities in exchange for product and credit, please also feel free to contact me. As a one man operation, I am always interested in cleaning things up a little better. And thank you in advance to anyone who takes me up on the offer.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Dannyalcatraz
1) The size of the publishing company doesn't matter...according to the forewards in their 30th Anniversary Sci-Fi and Fantasy books, DAW is basically a 6 person company- I imagine most of their non-editing staff is outsourced.

Cam Banks
You know, Green Ronin got the spelling of "foreword" wrong in their True20 core rulebook, too. Just thought I'd point that out.

Dangit- wards/words!

It just goes to show, "Pobody's Nerfect!"

That's why you need those "fresh eyes."

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

Dangit- wards/words!

It just goes to show, "Pobody's Nerfect!"

That's why you need those "fresh eyes."

Yes -- but also, you didn't charge us between $17 and $40 to read your post

 

[Cam Banks]

One word for the whole book, and in a section I never saw? Not bad, huh?

Yup. No complaints about anything else. So you rule!

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Nikchick]

You know, Green Ronin got the spelling of "foreword" wrong in their True20 core rulebook, too. Just thought I'd point that out.

Cheers,
Cam

Jeez, Cam, is this really your very most favoritest error in all the world? I've lost track of how many times I've seen you bring that one up. Do we get any points at all for fixing it in the PDF update?

It's a fact, our graphic designer can't spell. Whenever he adds a headline or title bar during the graphic design process we run the risk of that kind of thing. I once saw an entire chapter of a book with a header that said "Magic Itmes", which is way, way worse than one page that says "Foreward". Neither typo affected the usability of the product, thank goodness. It's the usability typos that keep me up at night.

 

[SteveC]

Jeez, Cam, is this really your very most favoritest error in all the world? I've lost track of how many times I've seen you bring that one up. Do we get any points at all for fixing it in the PDF update?

It's a fact, our graphic designer can't spell. Whenever he adds a headline or title bar during the graphic design process we run the risk of that kind of thing. I once saw an entire chapter of a book with a header that said "Magic Itmes", which is way, way worse than one page that says "Foreward". Neither typo affected the usability of the product, thank goodness. It's the usability typos that keep me up at night.

I'd just like to point out that Green Ronin is an example of a company doing things the right way: errors get fixed and when a new printing is done, they're incorporated into it. Those of us that buy Green Ronin PDFs get the new printings as well. Couldn't be better.

My big problem is with a company that never addresses these problems in the first place, or else simply makes a new edition of the rules every time they're going to do a new print run.

--Steve

 

[Mouseferatu]

It's the usability typos that keep me up at night.

I still remember the day I received my comp copies of Blood Sacrifice from White Wolf. It was only the second book I'd ever worked on in this industry. I remember flipping open the front cover...

...and not being able to help but laugh my head off at the table of contents.

You know White Wolf's famous "page XX" error?

That was the listing for every entry in the entire table of contents!

I'm pretty sure I could hear Justin Achilli screaming all the way from Atlanta.

 

[Morrus]

One problem is that editors aren't paid properly - it's almost as much work to edit a book properly as it is to write the damn thing.

OK, I exaggerate. But I make a point of paying an editor per word; usually about half what the author got. I realised a while back, reviewing some of ENP's earlier products, that editing really is as important as the writing.

 

[Set]

The question is, why can (for example) Expeditious Retreat Press and Malhavoc, RPG publishers who are on the small side, with few employees and no special access to resources, brand names or corporate backing put out books that are at least as high in quality (speaking strictly about editing/proofing here) as the industry leader, WotC

Can't say about ERP, but in the case of Malhavoc, I believe the answer to your question is; Sue Cook. The publisher is *married* to an editor.

A darn good one, apparently.

The people who actually do the writing and work at the companies publishing these books are more than qualified to edit their own work for these kinds of mistakes (if they aren't maybe they shouldn't be making their living as writers in the first place).

That's just crazy talk. A writer who edits his own work is like the lawyer who represents himself, having 'a fool for a client.' A complete layman is *far* more likely to find errors in something that a professional writer has written than he is to spot them himself. The human mind fills in the blanks. It's designed that way.